Spanish Style Meatball Hoagies

These meatball sandwiches are made with flavors inspired by Spanish cuisine. We seasoned the meatballs themselves with both sweet and smoked paprika, cumin and sherry vinegar. For the finished sandwiches we added onions sautéed with green olives, roasted red pepper sauce and melted Manchego cheese, then served them alongside Paprika-Dusted Potato Wedges (recipe follows).

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Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons panko crumbs
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup pitted green olives, chopped
4 6-inch hoagie rolls
1 cup Manchego cheese, grated
For the sauce:
1 jar (12-ounce) roasted red peppers, drained
1/2 clove garlic, chopped (about 1/4 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Gently combine the beef, egg, panko crumbs, parsley, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, sherry vinegar and mayonnaise in a large bowl. Form into 12 meatballs and arrange them in a single layer in a baking dish. Bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and keep warm.

While the meatballs bake, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the olives, reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the onions are light golden in color. Remove from the heat and set aside.

To make the sauce, place the red peppers, garlic, olive oil, sherry vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in the work bowl of a food processor and purèe.

Slice the hoagie rolls lengthwise and layer a portion of the onion-olive mixture in each. Add 3 meatballs to each sandwich, top with a spoonful of the red pepper sauce and a portion of cheese.

Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet and place in the oven until the cheese melts, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

Paprika-Dusted Potato Wedges:
Thoroughly scrub 3 or 4 baking potatoes and slice lengthwise into 8 to 12 wedges each. Place in a large bowl, drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt, pepper, paprika and cumin. Bake until golden brown and crispy, 20 to 30 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

This is an original recipe created & tested by the editors of MyGourmetConnection